An Ex-Googler And Hillary Clinton Are Making It Their Mission To Bring One Billion People Online

Before Hillary Clinton left her position as the U.S. Secretary of State, she set a lot of things in motion.

One of her initiatives, the Alliance for an Affordable Internet, will help poor countries gain access to the Internet. Tech companies like Google, Cisco, Yahoo, Intel and Microsoft are pitching in, reports Bloomberg Businessweek.

Clinton's team is led by a 25-year Silicon Valley veteran and former Google engineering director, Ann Mei Chang. Chang is currently living in Nairobi, Kenya and working with diplomats and tech bigwigs to make the Internet more accessible.

"Only a quarter of people in developing countries are online, compared to three-quarters of those in developed nations," reports Businessweek. "Over the past year, Chang has brought together Silicon Valley technicians, diplomats, and nonprofit groups to discuss the problem. Those talks culminated in the partnership Clinton announced."

The mission isn't going to be easy; barriers include lack of infrastructure, current monopolies controlling telecommunications, and costs that are above the average person's monthly income.